CLAS 101 D: Latin and Greek in Current Use

*For the complete syllabus including the grading scale and list of assignments, see the document 'CLAS 101 D Syllabus' uploaded under 'Files'*

CLAS 101 D — Latin and Greek In Current Use

Winter 2020, T/Th 11:30am-12:20pm, SIG 230

Instructor: Joseph Bringman

Classics 101 has for many years been a popular 2-credit course option for students throughout UW.  The course is designed to improve and increase your English vocabulary through a study of the Latin and Greek elements in English, with emphasis on words in current literary and scientific use.  The Latin and Greek words and word roots learned in this course will help you better understand how many words in English have evolved, and will prepare you to continue expanding your English vocabulary well after the class is over.

More than that, the course examines the ever-changing relationship between language and ideas in order to better understand the continuing impact of classical Greece and Rome on modern culture. We explore topics such as Mythology (Who is Tantalus and why is he the root of the word tantalize?), History (Who were the first Roman and Greek historians and how were their writings transmitted to us?), Philosophy (What were the four cardinal virtues and Plato's theory of forms?) and more. Classics 101 gives you a sense of the words, ideas, and stories that we have adopted from the ancient Greeks and Romans, and helps you identify and contextualize the classical influence you encounter every day.  Knowledge of Latin or Greek is not required.